THE DAY’S VICKIE FULKERSON INDUCTED INTO CGSCA HALL

Vickie Fulkerson, The Day's scholastic sports editor now in her 30th year at the paper, was inducted into the Connecticut Girls' Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame during the organization's 30th annual All-State Banquet on Sunday at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

Fulkerson is just the second media member to be inducted into the CGSCA Hall of Fame, joining the late Bohdan Kolinsky of the Hartford Courant, who was elected in 2003. Fulkerson was presented by retired Old Lyme girls' soccer coach Don Desautels.

Fulkerson, who graduated from Stonington High School in 1986 and Boston University in 1990, is also a member of the Connecticut Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame (Class of 2000). Since joining The Day, she has won numerous writing awards, including first-place entries from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists in 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

In addition to Fulkerson's award, East Lyme coach Rachel Redding, who guided the Vikings to the Class L state championship for the first time, was honored as the CGSCA Coach of the Year for large schools (Classes LL and L).

The CGSCA also recognized its four all-state teams. That listed included the following local players: East Lyme's Meredith Healy and Angie Venditti (Class L), Stonington's Vanessa Benjamin (Class M), and Old Lyme's Kaylee Armenia and Emily DeRoehn and St. Bernard's Lindsay Clement (Class S).